The weak loonie has more U.S. travellers coming to Canada to shop recently, and the biggest provincial winner is one that you might not expect: New Brunswick.

According to Krishen Rangasamy, senior economist for National Bank, Canadian first-quarter retail volumes and same-day U.S. travellers to Canada grew at the fastest pace in six years. While Ontario and B.C. have seen the biggest uptick, New Brunswick – despite its weak labour market – has been the surprising leader in retail sales on a year-on-year basis in the last two months.

“I think the [weak] Canadian dollar is having a positive impact so far in Canada,” Rangasamy told BNN in an interview.

“We had a closer look at what’s going on in New Brunswick and we found out that, yeah sure, they might not get the most amount of U.S. travellers to that province. But on a per capita basis, New Brunswick actually leads the country on U.S. travellers.”

Rangasamy says New Brunswick is a hot spot for U.S. shoppers in Canada because of its accessibility. Maine is next to New Brunswick and the two areas share 17 border crossings.

The benefits of the weak loonie have stretched far past New Brunswick, he adds.

Rangasamy says about 85,000 jobs were created nationally in the services sector this year, a third of which has come from accommodation and food services.

“The cheap Canadian dollar benefits not just New Brunswick, but it benefits the whole Canadian economy,” he said.

Even with the strength in the tourism sector, Rangasamy said the country shouldn’t forget about exports, which he predicts will be a main economic driver this year.